7 tips to make your tan last longer

Summer Tanning

It’s official now: Summer is showing its pretty face. What could be more efficient to warm up your days than beautiful summer days: sippin’ a cocktail by the pool, lazin’ on the beach, partyin’ endlessly on dream terraces, flirtin’ with your summer fling, and of course glowin’ with a beautiful tan… and wishin’ it could last forever.

But wait a second: Fall will show its face again, so you feel like you need to enjoy every second of your summer days before autumnal early dark nights, depressing rain and dull skin.

Let’s be honest: LeSalon doesn’t have superpowers to extend Summer forever however, we do have some tips to help you extend your tan for at least an extra month after the warm weather. And it starts now, ’cause better anticipate than be anticipated.

1. Eat smart

It’s no secret beauty comes from the inside. Some nutrients, such as beta-carotene, lycopene or vitamin C and E, can help your skin digest all these sun rays better. LeSalon recommends you to focus on:

• Red/yellow fruits and veggies help your body to get rid of free radicals and UV-induced skin irritations. Think tomatoes, peaches, mango, carrots and peppers.
• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale of cauliflower and greens are packed with sun-protecting antioxidants.
• Turkey, egg whites, almonds, salmon and avocado: rich in tyrosine, they help activate your melanin production
• Water: moisturising your skin cells from the inside is mandatory, especially during hot weather as you are losing extra water in sweat. Drinking a lot of water will prevent your skin from drying out and flaking.
• Pills: Food supplements help, a lot. Oenobiol and Phyto are trusted brands, but the best is always to ask your pharmacist for advice.

Remember to hold this diet at least 2 weeks before and 1 month after sun exposure.

2. Protect, gradually and evenly

• Whatever your skin tone, always start with the highest protection (SPF 50). Then move to SPF 30 – after 2-3 days for medium-dark skins, after one week for fair skins. Insist on nose, cheeks, shoulders and knees. Darker skins can go down to SPF 10 after a few weeks of sunbathing.
• The LeSalon golden rule is to avoid sunburns: they might turn to a beautiful golden tan, but they will also flake.
• Keep a pocket-size sunscreen with you to get 24/7 protection.
• Always cream up after bathing, even if your sunscreen says waterproof.
• Get help to protect difficult to reach areas like your back and shoulders.

3. Scrub regularly

This step is of utmost importance as it gets rid of dead (tanned) skin cells and activates skin renewal. Hence, your skin will produce melanin on deeper skin layers thus making your tan last longer.

• Use a light daily facial exfoliator
• Twice a week, rub your body with a loofah glove and oriental black soap

4. Moisturise generously

Now is not the time to be stingy on moisturiser, as it prevents your skin cells from drying out, dying and peeling.

• Apply generous amounts of extra-rich moisturiser (shea butter or almond oil based are the best) on your body, ideally twice a day.
• Trade your shower gel for a nourishing shower oil
• Use a light, vitamin E concentrated facial moisturiser
• Repair occasionally, when burnt. If you followed all our previous advice carefully, sunburns are out of the picture. However, to err is human, so make up for it: apply a medicated soothing cream to your sunburns ASAP – Biafine is our personal fave.

6. Avoid cosmetics containing fruit acids, glycolic acid and salicylic acid 

These acids found in some exfoliators, waxes and hair-removal creams can take off the top layers of your skin and your tan with it.

7. Even out with a good self-tanning lotion

Unfortunately, perfect even tan is just impossible to get: your nose and shoulders will always be darker, you face will always tan out before your body as facial skin renewal is faster. Sometimes little artificial tricks can help…

“Summer lovin’ happened so fast…. “ – maybe your Summer flings won’t last, but at least your tan will survive longer 🙂

TIP: A quick and easy way to make any tan look darker is by wearing a bright/nude nail colour. Why not book an at-home manicure with one of LeSalon’s mobile beauty therapists to get those summer vibes!